John Adams's "Nixon in China" stands as a landmark work, not only for its historical subject matter but also for its distinctive musical language. As Adams's first opera, its score showcases a significant influence from the minimalist movement of the 1960s and 1970s, a style with which his early music was associated. However, the opera also incorporates elements that distinguish it from other minimalist operatic experiments of its time, demonstrating
Adams's unique approach to composition and his deep roots in Western classical tradition.
Minimalism and Beyond
Throughout "Nixon in China," the score frequently employs repetitions of melodic-rhythmic cells and a strong sense of a foundational pulse, which injects dynamism and direction into certain passages. These characteristics are hallmarks of minimalism. Yet, Adams's work diverges from the "meaningless" repetitions often associated with composers like Philip Glass, whose "Portrait Trilogy" (Einstein on the Beach, Akhnaten, and Satyagraha) served as a conceptual influence. Timothy Johnson notes that Adams's opera features complex harmonic structures and constantly shifting metric schemes, setting it apart from the more rigid minimalist approaches.
Sarah Cahill, Adams's biographer, observes that among composers categorized as minimalists, Adams is arguably "the most rooted in the Western classical tradition." This is evident in the broad spectrum of influences woven into the opera's musical fabric. Commentators have drawn connections between Adams's orchestral writing and that of composers such as Wagner, Mahler, neoclassical Stravinsky, and even Gershwin. The presence of jazz and big band sonorities in the score is particularly notable, aligning with the type of music the Nixons might have listened to in their youth, thereby reflecting a stereotypically American musical landscape.
Avoiding Orientalist Tropes and Embracing Operatic Archetypes
A striking aspect of Adams's score is its deliberate avoidance of musical clichés typically used to evoke an "orientalist" setting in classical repertoire since the 18th century. Adams consciously steers clear of pentatonic or whole-tone scales, "exotic" scales, gong or celesta timbres, and parallel fourth or fifth harmonies. These elements were frequently employed by composers like Puccini (in "Turandot" and "Madama Butterfly") or Ravel (in "L'enfant et les Sortilèges") to create a "Chinoiserie" or "Japonisme" atmosphere, which often bore little resemblance to reality. By eschewing these tropes, Adams ensures that the musical portrayal of China is not based on superficial stereotypes.
Despite this departure from traditional orientalist musical devices, Adams remains acutely aware of the operatic tradition that precedes him. He assigns specific operatic models to his characters and situations. For instance, the strong presence of the chorus and the challenging coloratura passages for Jian Qing in her bravura aria, "I am the wife of Mao Tse-tung," serve as prime examples. Similarly, the role of Mao demands an extensive vocal range and powerful delivery, placing his vocal type in the realm of the Wagnerian heldentenor, or heroic tenor. Henry Kissinger's role, characterized by brief interventions and a comic effect during the play-within-a-play in the second act, aligns with the basso buffo archetype. Even the opera's title, "Nixon in China," connects it to a lineage of works such as Handel's "Giulio Cesare in Egitto" or Gluck's "Iphigénie en Tauride," grounding it firmly within established operatic conventions.
Orchestration and Modern Sound
Adams's score calls for a large orchestra, featuring instruments that contribute to its modern and distinct sound. The instrumentation includes two flutes (both doubling piccolos), two oboes (the second doubling English horn), three B-flat clarinets (the first doubling E-flat clarinet, the second and third doubling B-flat bass clarinets), and a saxophone quartet (soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone). The brass section comprises three C trumpets and three trombones. Percussion, played by a single musician, includes snare drum, bass drum, suspended cymbal, riveted cymbal, hi-hat, triangle, tambourine, Chinese wood block, sandpaper blocks, sleigh bells, clapper, and glockenspiel. Additionally, two pianos and a sampled synthesizer are part of the ensemble, alongside strings.
Notably, the orchestration omits instruments typically found in a symphony orchestra, such as bassoons and French horns, while prominently featuring the saxophone quartet and two pianos. This choice reinforces the "modern" and jazz-infused sonorities that Adams sought to reflect the stereotypically American musical landscape familiar to the Nixons. This careful selection of instruments contributes significantly to the opera's unique sonic identity, blending minimalist textures with a rich, diverse orchestral palette.
